Berlin (AFP)

Two games in a row without a win, and the alert rings for Bayern!

Imperial for months, the "Rekordmeister" is going through a slump just as it approaches the final phase of the Champions League, Tuesday in Rome against Lazio (9:00 pm).

Admittedly, a misstep by the defending champion in the first round of 16 would be an earthquake on the football planet: the Bavarian ogre remains on 17 matches without defeat in the queen competition (16 wins, one draw) on the continent, an absolute record.

And the three seasons preceding his victory, he had only been eliminated each time by the future winner (Real Madrid in 2017 and 2018, Liverpool in 2019).

But on Saturday, Bayern lost in the league in Frankfurt (2-1), five days after conceding a draw at home (3-3) against the poorly classified Bielefeld.

Its lead over Leipzig in the standings shrank to two points.

"To drop five points in a week is too much for Bayern and it is not what we expect," blasted club boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, just to remind everyone that in Munich , only victory is acceptable.

- Injuries and coronavirus -

The European champions would however have excuses.

Fatigue, first.

The Rome match will be their 13th since January 1, and the trip to Qatar in mid-February, to win the Club World Cup, weighed heavily on the organizations, including a full night's wait at Berlin airport. as a result of a delay.

The absences of key players then.

Benjamin Pavard and Thomas Müller, positive for the coronavirus, are in quarantine.

Serge Gnabry, Corentin Tolisso and Douglas Costa are injured.

None of them are expected to play Lazio.

Saturday in Frankfurt, Flick had to patch up his eleven guy with the means at hand.

The right flank (that of Pavard) was entrusted to Niklas Süle, central defender by profession.

The runner-up position fell to Marc Roca, who had only played two full halves with Bayern since the start of the season.

And it is not insulting Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting to say that, in an unusual attacking midfield position for him, he has not made Thomas Müller forget.

"We have just passed through some turbulent days, it should not be forgotten. We are only human beings", pleaded Hansi Flick.

"In terms of absentees, it's a bit tense at the moment. But the season is long, and when everyone returns, things will go in the right direction," assured the Bavarian technician.

- 31 goals conceded -

Provided, of course, to stay in the race in C1.

The elimination in January in the German Cup by a second division team, Holstein Kiel, nevertheless recalled that, despite their historic six-fold trophies in less than a year (cup-championship-Champions League treble, super-cups from Germany and Europe, Club World Cup), the Munich warriors are not invulnerable.

To discover their Achilles heel, just take a look at the statistics: 31 goals conceded in 22 league days.

The worst defense of the top 7, tied with Dortmund.

The power of Bayern is its attackers, including obviously the formidable Robert Lewandowski, top scorer in the last Champions League (15 goals) but, curiously, author of only three goals in the group stage this season.

Lazio can undoubtedly say that they are challenging the defending champion at the best possible time.

But a success for the Romans would nonetheless be an unprecedented feat: in 70 games under the reign of Hansi Flick, Bayern have never yet lined up three games in a row without a win.

© 2021 AFP